Jefferies Reaffirms Buy as Viking Therapeutics Gains 16.5%; VK2735 Oral Study Slated
Jefferies reaffirmed Buy rating for Viking Therapeutics after a 16.5% February share gain following Q4 earnings, trimming year-to-date decline to low single digits. The VK2735 program, a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist in Phase 3 subcutaneous trials and planning a 2026 oral maintenance study, remains central to Viking Therapeutics’ $4.09 billion market cap.
1. Jefferies Reaffirms Buy Rating
Jefferies reaffirmed its Buy rating for Viking Therapeutics as shares rallied 16.5% in February following the release of fourth-quarter earnings and a corporate update. This surge narrowed the year-to-date decline to low single-digit percentages, underlining investor confidence in the company’s growth prospects.
2. VK2735 Program Development
The company is advancing VK2735, a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist targeting obesity and diabetes, with two Phase 3 trials underway for its subcutaneous formulation. An oral maintenance study is slated for 2026 to assess tolerability ahead of trial completion, drawing significant investor interest.
3. Market Metrics
Viking Therapeutics ended the trading day at $35.36 per share, down approximately 1.13%, on a volume of around 1.50 million shares. Over the past year, the stock has traded between $18.92 and $43.15, supporting a market capitalization of about $4.09 billion.